Training and safety device for open water swimming

ABSTRACT

An open water training and safety device includes a flexible hollow cover having an internal cavity, and a flexible wall defining at least first and second compartments. An amount of buoyant floatation material is mounted in the first compartment. The buoyant material is sized to provide buoyancy for a swimmer supported by the device when floating in the water. The second compartment may be a pocket sized for carrying swimming accessories therein. The cover is closable so that the swimmer may selectively open and close the two compartments. Advantageously a hydration pack is mounted or mountable in one of the compartments. An elongate towing tether is mountable at a base end of the tether to the cover, for example by means of a harness which includes a pair of straps. The tether is adapted at a distal end thereof, distal from said base end, to be releasably mounted to the swimmer for towing said device behind the swimmer.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates in general to the field of flotation devices for swimmers, and in particular to a training and safety device for open water swimming or training wherein the device is intended to be towed behind a swimmer or for use as a kickboard by the swimmer, and, when the swimmer is static within in the water, to provide a buoyant float for resting on, or for use as a life preserver attached to the swimmer, and wherein the device also provides for increased visibility of the swimmer in open water and for carrying a hydration pack and swimming accessories.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Competitive swimmers and tri-athletes have accoutrement of training equipment, and usually also have closeby a water bottle and fuel while training. For swimmer's training in pools, these items are stored on the pool deck while not in use. The swimmers are usually confined to a designated lane so visibility and safety of the swimmers is not jeopardized. In open water training the swimmer usually swims in a defined marked swimming area. However, a boater may still inadvertently cross into the swimming area and not see the swimmer. In some waterfront areas there are no marked swimming areas so the swimmer must keep an eye on marine traffic to ensure the swimmer's safety. In order to retrieve fluids, fuel or training equipment while open water training the swimmer must return to shore unless there is a wharf from which the swimmer is training from. The equipment left on shore may also be stolen.

In the prior art applicant is aware of Canadian patent number 701,569 which issued Jan. 12, 1965 to Convis for a Swimming Buoy. What Convis discloses is the provision of a swimming buoy which will comfortable support a swimmer in either a floating or partial swimming position, the swimming buoy being provided with a recessed top portion for receiving the chest of a swimmer and having separated side edge top grooves for the swimmer's arms, the swimming buoy also having a forward chin rest whereby the swimmer may lie in a comfortable position and either be towed while so lying on the swimming buoy or may propel himself or herself either by paddling or by kicking the feet, or both, if desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The swim training and safety device according to the present disclosure allows an open water swimmer or tri-athlete to train in open water with increased visibility, provides for the transport of training equipment, hydration fluid, fuel, car keys, cellular telephone or other accessories, provides a training tool which may be used for a kickboard, and a safety float for the swimmer to sit or rest on if the swimmer requires a rest period. The training and safety device allows the swimmer to train without the support of the pool deck or having to stop the training session in order to go to shore. In one embodiment, not intended to be limiting, the swim training and safety device includes a polyester cover having an exterior pocket. Inside the cover are two or more high density foam blocks or sheets which provide buoyant floatation. One of the blocks or sheets may be removed to allow a hydration bag with a drinking tube to be inserted into the cover and transported. Alternatively, a thin hydration bag may be inserted in between the foam blocks or sheets. The training device attaches to a tether which is then attached to a belt which the swimmer puts around the swimmer's waist for towing the device with while swimming. The device is light enough that it produces minimal resistance while towing. If the swimmer wishes additional drag for training purposes, in one embodiment the rear end of the device has a strap and ring to which a training parachute can be secured.

In summary, the training and safety device according to the present disclosure for use in open water swimming may be characterized as including a flexible hollow cover having an internal cavity, and a flexible wall defining at least first and second compartments, wherein an amount of buoyant floatation material is mounted in the first compartment. The buoyant material is sized to provide buoyancy for a swimmer supported by the device when floating in the water. The second compartment may be a pocket sized for carrying swimming accessories therein. The cover is closable so that the swimmer may selectively open and close the two compartments. Advantageously a hydration pack is mounted or mountable in one of the compartments. An elongate towing tether is mountable at a base end of the tether to the cover, for example by means of a harness. The tether is adapted at a distal end thereof, distal from said base end, to be releasably mounted to the swimmer for towing said device behind the swimmer.

The hydration pack may be mounted in the first compartment, for example either by removing some of the floatation material, in one embodiment by removing one of two blocks or sheets (herein collectively referred to as sheets) of buoyant foam, or by forming a further thin cavity in the floatation material, in the embodiment using two foam sheets by opening a space between the sheets, and mounting the hydration pack in the thin cavity so formed. The hydration pack conventionally includes a body and a drinking tube extending from said body. At least the body of the hydration pack is mounted in the thin cavity. The drinking tube extends out of the thin cavity. The drinking tube may extend out of the cover and be secured to the outside of the cover by a releasable fastener.

The cover may be made of water-pervious material, for example fabric such as polyester fabric. Thus the cover is not required to be, nor is it necessary to be, water-proof, although it may be advantageous in some embodiment that the pocket be of different material and be water-proof to protect objects such as cell-phones stored in the pocket.

The harness may include a pair of straps mounted at first ends thereof to the first compartment, and at second ends thereof, opposite the first ends, to a buckle or other fastener for mounting the pair of straps to each other to form a loop. The straps may be pivotally mounted to opposite lateral sides of the first compartment for pivoting between a raised position, for example to clasp around the swimmer's torso, and a lowered position forward of the first compartment for mounting of the towing tether thereto. The harness releasably harnesses the towing tether to the front of the cover, or may be used for example in emergencies to harness the swimmer to the device whereby the device forms a floatation life preserver.

In one embodiment the two compartments are each substantially rectangular parallelepipeds, and the separating wall between the two compartments is substantially planar. The first and second compartments may each have a plate-like shape. The floatation material may be mounted snugly in the first compartment whereby the first compartment forms a buoyant kickboard for the swimmer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is, in side elevation, the swimmer's safety device according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 1 a is, in front elevation view, the releasable fastener for holding hydration pack drinking tube mounted on top of the outer pocket of the swimmer's safety device.

FIG. 2 is a section view along line 2-2 in FIG. 4.

FIG. 3 is, in partially cut-away side elevation view, the embodiment of FIG. 1 with the floatation chamber flaps open and with the two sheets of floatation material contained therein partially slid out from the floatation chamber.

FIG. 3 a is, in side elevation view one of the harness straps which mount to the sides of the floatation chamber.

FIG. 4 is, in plan view, the swimmer's safety device of FIG. 5.

FIG. 5 is, in perspective view, a further embodiment of the swimmer's safety device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

As seen in the accompanying Figures wherein like reference numerals denote corresponding parts in each view, the training and safety device for open water swimming includes a container such as a cover 10 which preferably is made of flexible material which may, in one embodiment, be water-pervious materials such as polyester cloth fabric or the like. Cover 10 is preferably compartmentalized so as to provide at least a first compartment which serves as a floatation chamber 12, and a second compartment which provides a pocket 14 for holding for example fuel, a cellular phone, keys or swimming accessories such as paddles for use by the open water swimmer.

Floatation chamber 12 includes a front end 12 a and an opposite rear end 12 b. A towing tether 16 for attaching to a swimmer by a belt (not shown) attaches at a base end 16 a of the tether to the front end 12 a of the floatation chamber, for example by means of a harness. The harness may include straps 30 a and 30 b which, when joined together by buckle 34, form a loop on the front end of the cover. A drag-chute towing line or tether 36 b for a swimmer to use to increase drag by towing a drag-chute (not shown) at the end of tether 36 b, is mounted to the rear end 12 b of floatation chamber 12 by a fastener 36 a on, for example a loop or handle 20 formed or mounted to the rear end 12 b of the floatation chamber.

The second compartment or pocket 14 likewise also has a front end 14 a and an opposite rear end 14 b. The front ends 12 a and 14 a of the floatation chamber and pocket respectively, are releasably closable by, for example, and not intending to be limiting, releasably closable flaps 12 c and 14 c on the floatation chamber and pocket respectively.

Floatation chamber 12 includes buoyant floatation material 22 such as open or closed cell foam or other buoyant materials which would be known to one skilled in the art. Although not intending to be limiting, as seen in the embodiments of FIGS. 2 and 3, floatation material 22 may be in sheet form and floatation chamber 12 may advantageously be sized to snugly fit therein one or more sheets of floatation material 22. In the embodiment of FIG. 2, a single sheet of floatation material 22 is sized to provide a thin cavity 13 within the balance of the floatation chamber so that a hydration pack 24 having a drinking tube 26 may be mounted into the floatation chamber alongside the sheet of floatation material. Drinking tube 26 extends out from cavity 13 within the floatation chamber, for example through an aperture 13 a formed in the front end 12 a of the floatation chamber so that a swimmer may easily pause while swimming and, while resting on the float provided by cover 10 and material 22, have a drink of hydrating fluid from hydration pack 24 through drinking tube 26. Drinking tube 26 may of course be flexible and may be mounted for storage by a releasable fastener 28 to the upper surface of pocket 14. Fastener 28 may for example be a mating pair of hook-and-loop fastener strips 28 a and 28 b.

In FIG. 3, floatation chamber 12 is shown with flaps 12 c open and with a pair of sheets of floatation material 22 being slid into the floatation chamber for snug mounting therein. Once the sheets of floatation material 22 are mounted into the floatation chamber, flaps 12 c are folded shut. In one embodiment, releasable fasteners 12 d hold flaps 12 c shut while allowing a swimmer access to the floatation chamber. Instead of using cavity 13, a swimmer may create a small storage space between the two sheets of floatation material 22 by merely separating them along the centreline or longitudinal axis of cover 10. Thus a thin hydration pack 24 may be stored in the narrow space between the two sheets of floatation material 22, and drinking tube 26 may extend outwardly through the closed flaps 12 c for storage within fastener 28.

In a preferred embodiment, a harness is mounted to the cover. The harness may include a pair of straps 30 which are mounted on opposite sides of floatation chamber 12 for example by means of a pivot type fastener 32 such as a button mounted on opposite sides of floatation chamber 12. Each button may be mounted through a corresponding button-hole or eyelet 32 a in the base end 30 a of each strap 30. The opposite or free ends 30 b of each strap 30 are adapted to releasably couple to one another for example by means of a mating buckle 34, which may be of the bayonet style as illustrated in FIG. 5 although this is not intended to be limiting.

With buckle 34 fastened, straps 30 form a loop in front of front end 12 a. The loop end of 16 a of tether 16 may be attached to cover 10 by mounting buckle 34 and straps through looped end 16 a. With fasteners 32 mounted at least part-way along the length of floatation chamber 12, when a swimmer tires and desires a rest, or for example in rough open water, a swimmer may, while resting on cover 10, use straps 30 to create a safety harness by wrapping the straps around the swimmer's torso and closing the buckle 34.

Cover 10 is towed in direction A by a swimmer (not shown) attached to the distal end 16 b of towing tether 16. Towing tether 16 may be provided with a belt (not shown) which may be releasably fastened to the swimmer. Buckle 34 preferably allows for adjustment of the length of one or both of straps 30 so that the towing distance of the device behind the swimmer may be adjusted.

In one preferred embodiment, which is not intended to be limiting, the floatation chamber 12, or that part of cover 10 corresponding to the floatation chamber, has outside dimension of: nineteen inches in length, ten inches in width (i.e., measured horizontally laterally across cover 10), and three inches in height. The corresponding dimensions of pocket 14 may be: fifteen inches in length, ten inches in width, and one inch in height. Straps 30 may be one inch strapping. Aperture 13 a may be formed by overlapping slots formed in the overlapping flaps 12 c.

As will be apparent to those skilled in the art in the light of the foregoing disclosure, many alterations and modifications are possible in the practice of this invention without departing from the spirit or scope thereof. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is to be construed in accordance with the substance defined by the following claims. 

1. A training and safety device for open water swimming, said device comprising: a flexible hollow cover having an internal cavity, and a flexible wall defining at least first and second compartments, an amount of buoyant floatation material mounted in said first compartment, and sized to provide buoyancy for a swimmer supported thereby in the water, said second compartment sized for carrying swimming accessories therein, wherein said cover is closable to selectively close said compartments, a hydration pack mounted in one of said compartments, an elongate towing tether mountable at a base end thereof to said cover, said tether adapted at a distal end thereof, distal from said base end, to be releasably mounted to the swimmer for towing said device behind the swimmer.
 2. The device of claim 1 wherein said hydration pack is mounted in said first compartment.
 3. The device of claim 2 wherein said floatation material includes a further cavity therein, and wherein said hydration pack includes a body and a drinking tube extending from said body, and wherein at least said body of said hydration pack is mounted in said further cavity.
 4. The device of claim 3 wherein said drinking tube extends out of said further cavity.
 5. The device of claim 2 wherein said hydration pack includes a drinking tube and a length of said drinking tube extends out of said first compartment.
 6. The device of claim 4 wherein said drinking tube extends out of said cover.
 7. The device of claim 1 wherein said cover is made of water-pervious material.
 8. The device of claim 7 wherein said water-pervious material is fabric.
 9. The device of claim 7 wherein said hydration pack is mounted in said first compartment.
 10. The device of claim 9 wherein said floatation material includes a further cavity therein, and wherein said hydration pack is mounted in said further cavity, and wherein said hydration pack includes a body and a drinking tube extending from said body.
 11. The device of claim 3 wherein said floatation material includes at least two separate pieces and wherein said further cavity is sandwiched between said at least two pieces.
 12. The device of claim 11 wherein said pieces of said floatation material are sheets.
 13. The device of claim 7 wherein said second compartment is a pocket.
 14. The device of claim 13 wherein said wall is substantially planar and separates said pocket from said first compartment.
 15. The device of claim 5 further comprising a fastener mounted to an exterior surface of said container, said fastener adapted to releasable fasten said length of said drinking tube to said cover.
 16. The device of claim 14 wherein said compartments are each substantially rectangular parallelepipeds.
 17. The device of claim 16 wherein said floatation material is mounted snugly in said first compartment whereby said first compartment forms a buoyant kickboard for the swimmer.
 18. The device of claim I wherein said floatation material is mounted snugly in said first compartment whereby said first compartment forms a buoyant kickboard for the swimmer.
 19. The device of claim 18 wherein said first compartment has a plate-like shape.
 20. The device of claim 17 wherein said first compartment has front and rear opposite ends and wherein said towing tether is mountable at said base end of said tether to said front end of said first compartment.
 21. The device of claim 1 further comprising a releasable harness mounted to said cover and adapted to releasably harness the swimmer to said cover whereby said cover forms a floatation life preserver.
 22. The device of claim 20 further comprising a releasable harness mounted to said cover and adapted to releasably harness to said base end of said tether, and, without said tether, to harness the swimmer to said cover whereby said cover forms a floatation life preserver.
 23. The device of claim 22 wherein said harness is mounted to said front end of said first compartment.
 24. The device of claim 23 wherein said first and second compartments further comprise first and second flaps and are releasably closable by said flaps.
 25. The device of claim 23 wherein said harness includes a pair of straps mounted at first ends thereof to said first compartment, and at second ends thereof, opposite said first ends, said pair of straps mounted to each other.
 26. The device of claim 25 wherein said straps are pivotally mounted to opposite lateral sides of said first compartment for pivoting between a raised position to clasp around the swimmer's torso and a lowered position forward of said first compartment for mounting of said towing tether thereto. 